It’s official: McCann’s a Yankee

The Yankees have officially signed Brian McCann to a five-year contract with a vesting option for a sixth year, the team announced. He has passed his physical and all that. “The singular and unwavering desire of this organization is to construct a team each and every season designed to play meaningful baseball deep into October … Our work this offseason has just begun, but we feel this is an important step towards what will be an exciting and rewarding 2014 season for our fans,” said Hal Steinbrenner in a statement.

McCann will be introduced at a press conference on Thursday, which will be broadcast on YES. I’m pretty sure it will be their first press conference to introduce a new player since Mark TeixeiraRafael Soriano. Been a while. The 2014 Draft Order page has been updated.

I could be mistaken, but didn’t Rafael Soriano get a press conference?

Pseudoyanks

Yes. I remember Cashman’s sulking.

http://www.twitter.com/mattpat11 Matt DiBari

It was actually pretty damn embarrassing to watch him behave like that at the press conference

I’m a looser baby so why don’t you kill me?

Highly uncomfortable.

Pinkie Pie

Hopefully this signing is just the beginning. These Yankees need a revamp.

jjyank

Welcome to the Bronx, Mr. McCann. May the Short Porch bless you for years to come.

Mandy Stankiewicz

Welcome!
Now if we can only think of a cheer as contagious as ‘hip-hip…’

mike

-1
Best part of not having Posada on the team is the absence of that dumb chant – especially since his at-bats took forever :).

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

BOO THIS MAN

coool breeez

I like Hal’s comments and I get the feeling he’s serious. The Yankee hot stove is just getting warmed up!

He’s hoping for the A Rod full season + suspension and damning the luxury tax torpedoes if it doesn’t go down that way.

Jimmy

That seems to be the buried lead.

I’m a looser baby so why don’t you kill me?

Fear of the Day (FotD)™: Hal will count resigning Cano and Kuroda as the bulk of “the rest” and think he lived up to his word. (IOW, McCann as the only meaningful improvement from 2013 -> 2014)

Caballo Sin Nombre

I dont think it’s likely that they will pass on signing an outfielder, at the least. There are several pretty good ones on the market, and the Yankees have a pretty glaring gap without a viable internal candidate. I can see a scenario where they try to go cheap on the pitching, as they have a lot of internal candidates to fill out the back of the order and the bullpen; as well as crossing their fingers on a partial comeback by CC, from terribleness to okayness.

In any case, getting a realistically effective Tex back, and filling out the roster with decent replacements (rather than Youk, Haf, Nunez, and Wells) each are the equivalent of a positional upgrade. Still, one does have to wonder what their theory is at 3B.

mt

I am curious as to what terms of his vesting option are – I hope that there is at least some diffciulty in meeting it and not something incredibly easy to make.

That reminds me – still wonder why Yankees, in Sabathia’s last extension, made Sabathia’s vesting option for his last year (I believe the 2017 season) only invalid if he goes on the DL for a shoulder injury – so he still gets vested if he blows out his elbow? -I never understood that (I can see vesting still occurring if he hurt his legs or obliques or something like that but why is vesting for a pitcher with a lot of innings terminated in case of a blown shoulder but vesting is still valid in case of a blown elbow?)

Caballo Sin Nombre

Possibly some medical exam showed wear and tear on his shoulder. Both sides agreed it was a risk, so CC would bear that risk. Tthe same medical report showed the elbow was OK, so the Yankees agreed to bear the risk (or felt they could insure it). It’s possible an insurer was in the loop, and okayed the elbow but nixed the shoulder.

That was 100% conjecture, but is a possible and logical explanation.

Betty Lizard

So.Happy.

MannyGeee

Somewhere in Montreal Russell Martin sheds a tear, as his muse has moved on to the next catcher in tight pants.

Robinson Tilapia

What a Pollyanna.

I’m a looser baby so why don’t you kill me?

We shall see. See the FotD above…

lou

Sweet Yankees now have an every day catcher now if they can just implement that to some of the other areas of their roster.

Yankees have no lead off hitter Gardner is not a lead off hitter.

What will become of Derek Jeter and A-Rod?

Where is this team going with Cano? Do you take that money and spread the love around the field or do you sign Cano for 200M. I say don’t pay him 200M

What about the outfield? Who is in Right field? Gardner in Center? So that makes Gardner, Ichrio and Wells RF I mean really the Yankees no to go out and upgrade their outfield.

Pitching rotation has a few holes. Will Pin be pitching at all? Will CC be better or worse?

Yankees need to move and move fast and not wait till winter meetings go out and get what you need now.

the Other Steve S.

Uhhh, Who’s on first, not right.

klad

Any guesses on the Sterling home run call?

Vern Sneaker

I can’t stand Sterling or his home run calls, but my guess is it will be something not too clever such as “Yes he McCann.”

Actually, if she dresses in the dress and actually does the cancan, that could be fun. By which I mean grounds for immediate dismissal. Which would be great.

Caballo Sin Nombre

“There goes another McCannon Shot.”

Caballo Sin Nombre

(after throwing out a runner) “…showing off that McCannon arm.”

MartinRanger

I’m hoping for a McCannon Shot. That would actually be a pretty good one, compared to some of Sterling’s others. And I admit I was fond of ‘Russell Shows Muscle’.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

Agree with this.

Can you do McCann can!

dkidd

it is mchigh, it is mcfar, it is…mcgone!!!

42isNotMortal

Remember Hal’s astonishment last year when fans and media pundits were largely appalled by the conservative 189 budget talk and declaring teams could build a winner without spending 220 million?

With consideration to the fact the Yankees are the most valuable and likely profitable (Forbes 2013) American sports franchise, I sure hope Hal’s quote from today represents such a realization and not just mere good rah rah press.

I’m a looser baby so why don’t you kill me?

Well he claimed that last off-season’s work – primarily resigning existing players and getting guys back from injuries – amounted to a job well done. Remember how stunned he claimed to be at the criticism?

mt

Actions will speak louder than words as far as the off-season.

I still have a bad feeling about Cano – if Yanks truly will not go above $200 million (a position wiith which I totally agree) there are several teams that will pay him $170-$190 million I believe (particularly Nats if they sign him and maybe dump Laroche, move Zimmerman to first and Rendon to third). The Yankee hope is that other teams will have exhausted their budgets and won’t be able to add Cano’s salary level as time plays out. This budget exhaustion will apply to most teams but it only takes one team (say, Cubs or Mariners) to look like they are about to be shut out from acquiring any major players and at that point that team goes hard for Cano. I guess as long as that team’s offer is below $200 million maybe Cano allows Yanks to match at that point.)

Jim Cavanaugh

Thrilled to finally add an elite position player to this roster, especially at a position where we lacked for a few years. Now on top of the expectancy we add an outfielder i have that sense Cashman has a couple of small chips (Sanchez now seems movable) and an unexpected trade come come before the season. Once u sign McCann you got to go for it.

Jim Is A (Bored) Peckerhead

I’d have to imagine the Yanks prefer Murphy and Romine as movable.

In 2-3 years time, if Sanchez continues to improve and live up to his billing, he’s going to be our catcher, and McCann will probably end up at 1st.

MartinRanger

Beltran reportedly has a 3/48 offer on the table. I have a feeling it isn’t from the Yankees.

At that price, I’m inclined to let him go, but they really need his bat or something equivalent, and there’s not much out there that can be had on a short deal.